WITH this issue of Rugby League World including a preview of the Women’s Super League season, we felt it was only right to mark some of the trailblazers of the game that have helped get it to where it is today.
There are of course many more that fall into this category than the ones listed here, but without pioneering women like these, today’s stars may not have had a stage to play on at all.
KATH HETHERINGTON
Along with husband Gary, now chief executive at Leeds Rhinos, Kath Hetherington helped form Sheffield Eagles and was pivotal in much of their early success. From there she went on to set up Gateshead Thunder with Shane Richardson, and following that club’s merger with Hull Sharks to form Hull FC, Hetherington took the role of chair, where she often found herself in direct competition against Gary’s Rhinos. She remained at the black and whites until Adam Pearson’s take over in 2011. Over her time in the game she has also served on the Rugby League Council and was the first female president of the RFL.
JULIA LEE
When 17-year-old Julia Lee applied for a rugby league refereeing course as part of a bet, she could never have imagined where it would take her. She didn’t let the fact she was a woman deter her from her dreams and starting out officiating junior games, before switching to open age matches following a move to London. While spending time in Australia, she became the first woman to referee a game out there, before a return to these shores saw her take charge of National Conference League Premier Division games as well as some involving professional clubs’ reserves sides.
BRENDA DOBEK
Brenda Dobek has achieved more in her career than many could ever hope for. Leading Great Britain to 1996 Ashes glory in Australia was perhaps the highlight of a playing career that saw the skilful half-back represent Wakefield Panthers, Townville and Featherstone Rovers with distinction until her retirement aged 45. She then switched her focus to coaching, taking England to a third-placed finish in the 2008 World Cup. One of the true pioneers of women’s rugby league, it is perhaps unsurprising she was one of three inaugural inductees to the Women’s Hall of Fame alongside Sally Milburn and Lisa McIntosh.
LISA McINTOSH
Lisa McIntosh was another of the inaugural members of the Women’s Hall of Fame in 2022 and was an international team mate of Brenda Dobek and Sally Milburn. But her trailblazing exploits had an additional dimension, as the first black woman to captain a British team when she was co-captain for the 1996 Ashes tour and then in sole charge for a trip to New Zealand two years later. She made waves in the forward pack as well, setting new standards of athleticism for a forward, which is still evident in today’s game. Like Dobek, she played on into her 40s – retiring at 42, before going into coaching.
KASEY BADGER
Having made the decision at an early age to focus on officiating rather than playing, Kasey Badger started a journey that would see her make history in the 2022 World Cup. Rising through the ranks, Badger joined the NRL’s team of full time officials in 2019 and has acted as a touch judge in many elite games, as well as refereeing in the NRLW competition. She was named as one of three female officials for the last World Cup, taking charge of the match between Wales and Tonga to be played on 24th October 2022 – becoming the first woman to referee a men’s game in the history of the tournament.
HOLLIE MAE DODD
Hollie Mae Dodd made history in April 2023 when she left York Valkyrie to became the first British woman to sign a professional contract with an NRLW side. The move to Canberra Raiders meant she could earn a living playing the sport in a full time environment. England team mates Fran Goldthorp and Georgia Roche, soon followed her to Australia, with the latter going on to win the title with Newcastle Knights. Dodd’s ability was clear to see from the moment she made her debut for Castleford Tigers in the 2019 Challenge Cup Final, just days after her 16th birthday.
First published in Rugby League World magazine, Issue 495 (April 2024)
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